Apollo Entry Aerodynamics
Apollo Entry Aerodynamics
SPACECRAFT
3
Jenks, J. C., " Acoustic Instability," ABL Quarterly Progress Propellants," AIAA Journal, Vol. 2, No. 6, June 1964, pp. 1119-
Report 59, July 30, 1967, Hercules, Inc., Cumberland, Md. 1122.
4 9
Trubridge, G., "Tentative Prediction Criteria for Acoustic Oberg, C. L., "Acoustic Instability in Propellant Com-
Combustion Instability in Solid Propellant Rocket Motors," bustion," unpublished Ph.D. thesis, June 1965, University of
Third ICRPG Combustion Conference, Cocoa Beach, Fla., Oct. Utah.
17-21, 1966. 10
Eisel, J. L., personal communication, April 13, 1967.
5
Price, E. W., " Axial Mode, Intermediate Frequency Com- 11
Morse, P. M., Vibration and Sound, McGraw-Hill, New
bustion Instability in Solid Propellant Rocket Motors," Paper York, 1948, pp. 402-403.
64-146, 1964, AIAA. 12
Horton, M. D., "Testing the Dynamic Stability of Solid
6
Brownlee, W. G., "Nonlinear Axial Combustion Instability Propellants; Techniques and Data," Rept. 8596, Aug. 1964,
in Solid Propellant Motors," AIAA Journal, Vol. 2, No. 2, Feb. Naval Weapon Center, China Lake, Calif.
1964. pp. 275-284. 13
7
Dickinson, L. A., Capener, E. L. and Kier, R. J., "Research Slates, R. O., Buffum, F. G., and Dehority, G. L., " Acoustic
on Unstable Combustion in Solid Propellant Rockets," Stanford Attenuation in Resonant Model-Rocket Motors," ICRPG/AIAA
Research Institute Report, Contract AF 49 (638)-1367, Jan. 13, Second Solid Propulsion Conference, Anaheim Calif., June 1967.
14
1965. Stanford Univ. Epstein, P. S. and Carhart, R. R., "The Absorption of Sound
8
Coates, R. L., Horton, M. D., and Ryan, N. W., "T-Burner in Suspensions and Emulsions," Journal of the Acoustical Society
Method of Determining the Acoustic Admittance of Burning of America, Vol. 25, 1953, pp. 553-565.
Downloaded by 2405:8100:8000:5ca1::1e3:651a on December 13, 2019 | http://arc.aiaa.org | DOI: 10.2514/3.29589
CORRIDOR
\
\ CURRENT
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/ / /
\ TARGETING
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\
\
REQM'T
/ ''//
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/'/'
1 1 \ 1 /A< 1 ! Fig. 3 Apollo CM shape and trim attitude aerodynamic
-4.5 -5.0 -5.5 -6.0 -6.5 -7.0 -7.5
force relationships.
I N E R T I A L ENTRY r ~ D E G .
Fig. 1 Effect of aerodynamic performance on entry flight crossrange corrections up to ±200 naut miles can be made if
path angle. continuous "lift vector up 7 ' is not required to reach the
desired downrange landing target.
Downloaded by 2405:8100:8000:5ca1::1e3:651a on December 13, 2019 | http://arc.aiaa.org | DOI: 10.2514/3.29589
0.35 RANGE
M =^6
AX
A B L = 1.79"
AZABL=.2505"
5 = .1365°
P R I M A R Y TRIM
LIMIT LINE
SPACECRAFT ABLATOR
THICKNESS F R O M G&N IMU
OR V E L O C I T Y
DIFFERENTIATION
M O D E L & SPACECRAFT
SPACECRAFT STRUCTURE
SPACECRAFT
ABLATOR THICKNESS7
AXA
therefore not available. The preflight prediction of L/D for lines drawn through these points and parallel to the original
Apollo 2 was made from wind-tunnel test results. First the solid lines were used to define the end-points of the constant-
predicted e.g. location at the entry interface (XA = 1040.3 in., L/D lines on Fig. 13. By using this procedure the rate of
Ze.g. = 5.2 in.) was plotted on Fig. 7, and an L/D of 0.308 was change of L/D as a function of e.g. movement as determined
obtained for a clean command module at Mach 25. An L/D from wind-tunnel tests was retained; however, the absolute
increment of 0.014 was added to this because the Apollo 2
command module had an external umbilical fairing at its X A = 1037.0"
maximum diameter. This increment was determined by
wind-tunnel tests. The change in L/D between Mach 25 and
Mach 6 is due to the predicted e.g. change caused by RCS X A = 1047.0"
1044
z P R I M A R Y TRIM
o
LIMIT LINE
E 1042
<
x
1040
'FLIGHT DATA
(MANUALLY SMOOTHED
I C
STRAIGHT LINE FAIRING OF
AND EDITED)
FLIGHT DATA (BASIS FOR
APOLLO 4 PREDICTIONS)
J_
10 15 20 25 30
MACH NUMBER, M
Fig. 10 L/D - Mach-number comparisons for Apollo 2. Fig. 13 Trim L/D -center-of-gravity relationships.
306 R. S. CROWDER AND J. D. MOOTE J. SPACECRAFT
/FLIGHT DATA
/(MANUALLY SMOOTHED
AND EDITED)
POST F L I G H T P R E D I C T I O N
REVISION (BASIS FOR
APOLLO 6 PREDICTIONS)
15 20 25
MACH NUMBER, M 5.000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000
E A R T H R E L A T I V E V E L O C I T Y , VR FPS
Fig. 14 L/D -Mach-number comparisons for Apollo 4.
Fig. 17 Flight L/D vs velocity.
M > 25, a flattening of the curve is apparent. (This trend do not have significant external protuberances, so that for
was also indicated by Apollo 2 data but was not incorporated Mach > 29.5, the nominal L/D prediction comes directly
in the predictions pending further verification.) Because the from Fig. 13, and the Mach 10 value comes directly from
flight data were well within the prediction tolerance bands Fig. 7. These command modules will be configured to pro-
(except above Mach 33), the only change to the prediction duce a nominal L/D of about 0.30 at M > 29.5. A new
procedures for Apollo 6 was to apply Fig. 13 for If > 25, prediction tolerance band was determined for future missions
which results in constant aerodynamic predictions for M > 25.
Table 1 L/D prediction tolerances for future missions
M A C H 10 W I N D T U N N E L D A T A L/D tolerance
FLIGHT DATA ( M A N U A L L Y S M O O T H E D AND E D I T E D )
POST F L I G H T P R E D I C T I O N Accuracy of L/D data from previous flights
REVISION (BASIS FOR Flight instrumentation /data ±0.010
APOLLO 7 PREDICTIONS)
Center-of-gravity location ±0.013
Main heat shield/afterbody centeiiine mating ±0.013
Main heat shield cant determination ±0.007
Configuration uncertainties for future flights
Center-of-gravity location ±0.006
Main heat shield/afterbody centeiiine mating ±0.013
15 20
Main heat shield cant determination ±0.005
MACH NUMBER, M
Configurational differences (original/final) ±0.005
Variation in expendables ±0.012
Fig. 15 L/D -Mach-number comparison for Apollo 6. Root-sum-square = ±0.030
For Apollo 6 the L/D predictions were derived in the same based on flight data accuracy (rather than wind-tunnel data
manner as for Apollo 4 except that constant L/D was predicted accuracy previously used) in conjunction with configurational
for M > 25. These predictions are presented along with tolerances (Table 1).
flight data6 in Fig. 15. Again the flight data lie above the It is not within the scope of this paper to attempt to explain
predicted nominal, but well within the prediction tolerance the flow phenomena which cause the obviously real variations
bands. in L/D throughout the Apollo entry hypersonic flight regime.
The wind-tunnel data represented by Fig. 7 were obtained However, Fig. 17 shows the flight L/D vs VR, the parameter
at Mach numbers of 6, 8, and 10. Reappraisal of these data that appears to give the best correlation from the standpoints
indicated agreement with the revised L/D prediction at Mach of fairing a first-order curve through the data. Figures 18
10. It was therefore decided to utilize Fig. 7 for future Mach and 19 present L/D vs normal-shock density ratio and the
10 predictions, so that all aerodynamic coefficients could more Reynolds number behind the normal shock, respectively.
accurately be defined at this Mach number. A second pre- Explanation of L/D variations in terms of these parameters
diction revision applicable to future missions was the decision does not look promising because of the slope reverses and
to shift the application of Fig. 13 data from Mach > 25 to
Mach > 29.5. This change was made primarily to produce
± .030 T O L E R A N C E BAND
15 20 10 15
MACH NUMBER, M N O R M A L S H O C K DENSITY R A T I O , P
Fig. 16 L/D predictions for future Apollo missions. Fig. 18 Flight L/D vs normal-shock density ratio.
Downloaded by 2405:8100:8000:5ca1::1e3:651a on December 13, 2019 | http://arc.aiaa.org | DOI: 10.2514/3.29589